The Democratic Socialists of America released a statement on February 28 following the strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. The organization unequivocally condemned the military action, labeling it an act of imperialist war and an unjustifiable assault on the Iranian people. In their statement, they highlighted reports that one of the targets was an all-girls elementary school, resulting in at least 40 deaths. The DSA argued that the strikes were not merely a campaign against a state regime but an attack on an entire region, asserting that national sovereignty is a necessary condition for the liberation of the working class.

The group characterized the current conflict as a continuation of a hybrid war that has been directed at Iran since 1979. They cited several historical grievances, including the Clinton administration’s sanctions in 1996 and the Trump administration’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal, as well as the Twelve-Day War. According to the DSA, these U.S. policies have destroyed the Iranian economy and caused significant suffering for the working class while empowering domestic profiteers. They rejected the idea that the United States is acting as a friend to the Iranian people, claiming instead that U.S. intervention has produced the very conditions that lead to domestic protests within Iran.

Moving forward, the DSA is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of all military assets from the Persian Gulf, and a total end to unilateral coercive measures. They are urging their members and the general public to organize mass mobilizations and pressure congressional representatives to vote in favor of the Iran War Powers Resolution. To support these efforts, the organization executed a mass call for on March 4 at cities such as Houston and Tacoma, having partnered with several other groups, including the ANSWER Coalition, CodePink, and the National Iranian American Council, to hold rallies throughout the weekend. The statement concluded by emphasizing that a popular solidarity movement is the only way to exact a political cost on those they described as warmongers.